Kanawai Noa is a Slot Specialist WR for California. Kanawai's 2017 season ranks in the 100th percentile nationally by opponent-adjusted EPA per play across 86 plays — a elite rate for the WR.
The offense's primary passing-down weapon — routes, separation, and reliability on 3rd down define this role.
Players from 2014–2024 matched on EPA efficiency, play volume, and adjusted value tier — not just one metric.
| Player | Team | Yr | Plays | WEPA/play | Line val | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadree Henderson | Pittsburgh | 2016 | 63 | 0.530 | 1.6 | 33.4 |
| DeAndre Hughes | Air Force | 2021 | 60 | 0.470 | 1.3 | 28.2 |
| Keytaon Thompson | Mississippi State | 2017 | 70 | 0.460 | 1.2 | 32.2 |
| Savion Williams | TCU | 2024 | 56 | 0.450 | 1.1 | 25.2 |
| Javion Posey | Florida Atlantic | 2020 | 53 | 0.450 | 1.4 | 23.8 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | Rec | Rec Yds | Avg | Rec TD | Long | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @North Carolina | W35-30 | 4.3 | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 | 1.69 |
| 2 | vsWeber State | W33-20 | — | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 0 | 16 | 0.80 |
| 3 | vsOle Miss | W27-16 | 11.6 | 6 | 81 | 13.5 | 0 | 28 |
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).
Rec 7 · Rec Yds 87 · Avg 12.4 · Rec TD 0
| 0.72 |
| 4 | vsUSC | L20-30 | 17.9 | 6 | 110 | 18.3 | 0 | 38 | 0.59 |
| 5 | @Oregon | L24-45 | 9.1 | 7 | 126 | 18.0 | 1 | 75 | 1.11 |
| 7 | vsWashington State | W37-3 | 8.6 | 6 | 95 | 15.8 | 0 | 27 | 0.55 |
| 8 | vsArizona | L44-45 | 3.7 | 6 | 79 | 13.2 | 1 | 19 | 1.05 |
| 9 | @Colorado | L28-44 | 2.0 | 7 | 108 | 15.4 | 2 | 27 | 0.93 |
| 10 | vsOregon State | W37-23 | -12.6 | 4 | 41 | 10.3 | 0 | 18 | -0.13 |
| 12 | @Stanford | L14-17 | 15.8 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 4 | -0.16 |
| 13 | @UCLA | L27-30 | 4.9 | 7 | 87 | 12.4 | 0 | 21 | 0.45 |